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Photography · head to head

Google Photos vs ON1 Photo RAW

Google Photos logo

Google Photos

Photography

Google's photo backup and organisation app, now billed against shared Google account storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ON1 Photo RAW logo

ON1 Photo RAW

Photography

All-in-one RAW photo editor and organizer, an alternative to Lightroom and Photoshop

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Photos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Photos unlimited free storage ended in June 2021, so an active phone photographer will hit the 15GB shared cap and be pushed into a paid Google One subscription within a year or two.; ON1 Photo RAW it is a Mac and Windows desktop application only, with no mobile app or web-based editing option.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Photos covers Automatic backup, ON1 Photo RAW covers RAW processing and organization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Photos and ON1 Photo RAW actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Photos and ON1 Photo RAW differ
AttributeGoogle PhotosON1 Photo RAW
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree tier plus paid storage add-onone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, Webmac, windows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Google Photos

  • Automatic backup
  • Face grouping
  • Search
  • Shared albums
  • Magic Eraser and editing
  • Storage saver conversion

Only in ON1 Photo RAW

  • RAW processing and organization
  • Layers and masking
  • NoNoise AI
  • Resize AI
  • Super Select AI
  • Generative editing tools
  • Presets, filters, and LUTs

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Google Photos

  • A household wanting automatic phone photo backup without plugging into a computernot ON1 Photo RAW
  • Someone who wants to search old photos by what is in them rather than by filename or foldernot ON1 Photo RAW
  • A family sharing a running album of a child or event across several phonesnot ON1 Photo RAW
  • A person switching phones who wants photo history to follow them regardless of device brandnot ON1 Photo RAW

ON1 Photo RAW

  • Editing and organizing RAW photos without a subscriptionnot Google Photos
  • Replacing a Lightroom plus Photoshop workflow with one applicationnot Google Photos
  • Applying AI noise reduction to high-ISO imagesnot Google Photos
  • Upscaling images for large prints using AInot Google Photos
  • Building composite edits with layers and masksnot Google Photos

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Photos

  • Unlimited free storage ended in June 2021, so an active phone photographer will hit the 15GB shared cap and be pushed into a paid Google One subscription within a year or two.
  • The 15GB quota is shared with Gmail and Drive, so a full inbox can push someone into a storage warning that looks like a photos problem but is not.
  • Face grouping and search rely on Google scanning image content, which is a real privacy consideration for people uneasy with a US company indexing personal photos.
  • Pixel phones get extra editing features such as Magic Eraser variants that other Android and iOS users do not, so the experience is not equal across devices.
  • Downgrading storage or cancelling Google One after exceeding 15GB puts the account into a grace period and eventually restricts new uploads and can affect other Google services sharing the quota.

ON1 Photo RAW

  • It is a Mac and Windows desktop application only, with no mobile app or web-based editing option.
  • Pricing and available bundles are not clearly listed on the marketing pages, requiring users to reach checkout to see actual costs.
  • Some advanced features and content bundles are locked behind the higher-priced MAX or Studio subscription tiers rather than the base one-time purchase.
  • As a smaller ecosystem than Adobe's, it has fewer third-party plugin and tutorial resources built around it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Photos

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 15GB shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos
    • Original quality uploads always counted
    • No storage cap on device, only on the account
  • Google One 100GB$1.99/month
    • 100GB shared storage
    • Extended by-family sharing with up to 5 others
  • Google One 2TB$9.99/month
    • 2TB shared storage
    • Additional Google One perks such as VPN in some regions

ON1 Photo RAW

On request
  • Photo RAW$undefined/one-time
    • One-time payment, no subscription
    • Install on two computers
    • Full RAW editing and organization
  • Photo RAW MAX$undefined/one-time
    • One-time payment or subscription option
    • Install on three computers
    • Adds extra effects and content bundles
  • Photo Studio$undefined/month
    • Subscription plan
    • Includes all individual ON1 plugin and standalone titles
    • Cloud sync and ON1 Plus training content

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Photos if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want face grouping.
Google Photos review

Choose ON1 Photo RAW if

  • You need raw processing and organization.
  • You work on mac, windows.
  • You also want layers and masking.
ON1 Photo RAW review

Questions people ask

Is Google Photos or ON1 Photo RAW better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Photos starts at Free and ON1 Photo RAW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Photos or ON1 Photo RAW?
Google Photos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Photos and On request for ON1 Photo RAW.
Does Google Photos or ON1 Photo RAW run on more platforms?
Google Photos runs on iOS, Android, Web. ON1 Photo RAW runs on mac, windows.
Can I use Google Photos for free?
Yes. Google Photos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ON1 Photo RAW starts at On request.
What is Google Photos best used for?
Google Photos is most often used for a household wanting automatic phone photo backup without plugging into a computer, someone who wants to search old photos by what is in them rather than by filename or folder, a family sharing a running album of a child or event across several phones, a person switching phones who wants photo history to follow them regardless of device brand. Of those, a household wanting automatic phone photo backup without plugging into a computer and someone who wants to search old photos by what is in them rather than by filename or folder are not what ON1 Photo RAW is typically brought in for.
What can Google Photos do that ON1 Photo RAW cannot?
Google Photos covers Automatic backup, Face grouping, Search, Shared albums. ON1 Photo RAW covers RAW processing and organization, Layers and masking, NoNoise AI, Resize AI.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Photos: Is Google Photos still free?

The app is free to use but storage is not unlimited. All uploads count against the 15GB shared with Gmail and Drive, and more storage requires a paid Google One plan.

ON1 Photo RAW: Does ON1 Photo RAW require a subscription?

No. ON1 Photo RAW is sold with 'one price covers everything, no subscription' as the default purchase model, though a subscription-based Photo Studio bundle is also offered for users who want ongoing access to all ON1 apps.

Source
Google Photos: What happened to the old unlimited backup?

Google ended unlimited free storage for photos on 1 June 2021. Photos uploaded before that date in compressed quality are not retroactively counted.

ON1 Photo RAW: What AI features does ON1 Photo RAW include?

It includes Resize AI for super-resolution enlargement, NoNoise AI for noise reduction, Super Select AI for one-click selections, and generative tools such as Sky Swap AI and Generative Erase.

Source
Google Photos: Can I avoid Google One by using another cloud service instead?

Yes. Apple Photos with iCloud, Amazon Photos or a self-hosted option can substitute, though switching means re-uploading or exporting your existing library.

ON1 Photo RAW: How many computers can I install ON1 Photo RAW on?

The standard Photo RAW purchase allows installation on two computers, the MAX edition allows three, and the Photo Studio subscription allows installation on five computers.

Source
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